The commandant of the Marine Corps announced today that he has received the U.S. Central Command investigation report into the insurgent attack on Camp Bastion one year ago that killed two Marines and destroyed a fleet of jets.

Gen. James Amos is reviewing the material to "determine the way forward," before he notifies the appropriate personnel, families and the public, the Marine Corps said.

The third star of a former Camp Pendleton general is hanging on results of the inquiry into the Sept. 14, 2012 attack, as well as the careers of other Marines who were responsible for securing the base and its troops.

Maj. Gen. Charles “Mark” Gurganus finished his year-long tour in the spring as commanding general of NATO’s southwestern regional command. During the attack he was in charge of the Bastion base complex, which includes Camp Leatherneck and Camp Shorabak and more than 10,000 troops and contractors.

Gurganus was nominated in March for assignment as chief of Marine Corps staff at the Pentagon, essentially the No. 3 position in the Corps. His promotion has been on hold pending investigation results. Maj. Gen. Michael Regner, named "staff director for Headquarters Marine Corps," has been handling the duties of chief of staff in the interim.

Lt. Col. Chris Raible, commanding officer of VMA-211, landed the first Harrier AV-8B jump jet at Bastion after his Yuma-based squadron relocated there from Kandahar on July 1.Cpl. Lisa Tourtelot/3rd MAW (FWD)

Lt. Col. Chris Raible, commanding officer of VMA-211, landed the first Harrier AV-8B jump jet at Bastion after his Yuma-based squadron relocated there from Kandahar on July 1.

Lt. Col. Christopher Raible, 40, of Huntingdon, Pa., and Sgt. Bradley Atwell, 27, of Kokomo, Ind., were killed by shrapnel from rocket-propelled grenades. They were among hundreds of Marines who defended the flight line by land and air during the six-hour battle, while insurgents rampaged around the hangars.

Eight other NATO personnel were injured, six AV-8B Harrier jets were destroyed and two more were heavily damaged.

Raible, a married father of three, was commanding officer of Marine Attack Squadron 211, the Harrier unit deployed at Camp Bastion. He was nominated because of his actions that night for a Silver Star, the nation’s third highest medal for valor in combat.

Sgt. Bradley Atwell, who was killed Sept. 14, 2012 during the attack on Camp Bastion, and his wife Danielle Atwell. (Courtesy family)

Sgt. Bradley Atwell, who was killed Sept. 14, 2012 during the attack on Camp Bastion, and his wife Danielle Atwell. (Courtesy family)

Atwell, an aircraft technician with Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 16, was killed less than a year after he married.

Amos sent his thoughts and prayers Tuesday to the two squadrons, their families and friends. “This heartbreaking loss continues to remind me of the sacrifices our Marines, sailors and families make in protecting our freedom. It is also a reminder of the very high standards our Marine commanders must meet, particularly in combat,” he said.

Accountability

The top Marine officer asked Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III, the head of Central Command, for the investigation on May 22. Amos had concluded that earlier reviews of the attack did not sufficiently address "commander accountability." The purpose of the new probe was "to gather a more accurate picture of the situation surrounding the attack and assess whether any U.S. personnel are accountable for the lives and equipment lost," the Marines said.

The Central Command report is classified. U-T San Diego has filed a Freedom of Information Act request for an unclassified version.

The investigation focused on whether commanders were negligent because 15 heavily armed Taliban fighters were able to penetrate the Helmand province base, which is NATO’s regional headquarters. Amid the drawdown of forces, security cutbacks had caused guard towers to be manned in some cases by nothing more than target dummies or poorly-trained Tongan troops who frequently fell asleep on the job, several senior military sources told U-T San Diego.